Limiters, stops or so-called secondary locks for patio or sliding glass doors are known. Typically, these limiters include a rod that passes through an escutcheon. The rod is spring-biased upward in an unlocking position and can be depressed downward into a locking or stopped position. Normally, a hole is provided in the track or on a fixed panel anywhere from 2 to 10 inches from the vertical door frame. Extension of the rod into the hole holds the sliding door in the partially-open position. These devices are typically not referred to as "locks" because the door is held in a partially-open position. Thus, the terms "limiter" or "stop" are more appropriate.
A problem associated with the currently-available limiter or stop products is their lack of versatility. Specifically, the currently-available devices are equipped with only one locking rod that is permanently connected within the escutcheon. Further, the rod is disposed centrally along the axis of the escutcheon. While this design is suitable for some applications, it is proven to be inconvenient in light of the recent development of sliding glass doors with narrower frames. Simply put, with the narrower frames of modern sliding glass doors, there is less room for the attachment of the escutcheon and therefore it is often desirable to provide the bolt or rod in an off-center position with respect to the escutcheon.
Still further, the currently-available limiters or stops are equipped with not only a single rod, but with a single rod of a pre-determined length. Often, the rod is longer than necessary which requires the escutcheon to be mounted higher on the door frame than necessary, which degrades the aesthetic appearance of the door. Further, because the rods are permanently mounted within the escutcheon, there is no way to replace a rod that is either too short or too long with a rod of an alternative length.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved limiter or stop for a sliding door such as a patio door which provides the locking rod or bolt in an off-center position with respect to the central axis of the escutcheon and further which provides rods or bolts of varying lengths so that the installer may choose a rod of an appropriate length thereby enabling the escutcheon to be mounted as close to the track as possible or as close to the edge of the door as possible.